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Excavation in T-87 during the 2016 season sought to explore the physical and chronological relationship between non-elite and elite habitation zones as well as between early Orientalizing and late Archaic activity. In terms of the physical relationship, a stone packing feature was uncovered in the northwestern corner of the original portion of the trench and, after the trench was extended, found to continue westward. Due to time constraints this season, the feature was not able to be fully explored. The size of the stones which comprised it, approximately ten to fifty centimeters, as well as the closeness of these stones\' concentration differentiated them from small stones (two to ten centimeters) included within the soil package of T-87. Furthermore, the feature appeared to be relatively linear for a two meter stretch east to west, though it was almost a meter wide at its western extent and tapered to about sixty centimeters wide at its eastern terminus. The linearity of the feature in addition to the close proximity and the comparatively large size of the stones which composed it potentially suggests intentionality in their placement. While the nature of this feature was not able to be fully ascertained in 2016, it may be tentatively suggested that it once was a robust load bearing or retaining wall which possibly suffered from a later robbing of the stones from its eastern end. Further excavation is needed in order to clarify whether this feature is intentional and, if so, what its true nature and function is.

The high concentration of iron slag as well as small concentrations of burned bone and vitrified terra cotta in T-87 may indicate that, as observed in the 2012 and 2013 CA trenches, the surrounding area was used for metal working on a small scale. Despite the quantity of iron slag found, few fragments of finished iron were recovered. On the other hand, the bronze pieces recovered in the trench were primarily finished fragments, especially of fibulae, which enjoyed a high level of preservation. Contrastingly, very little bone was recovered in T-87. Analysis of the materials recovered in the CA trenches excavated in 2012 and 2013 have illustrated that bone was concentrated in the interior of the light frame architectural features while slag was concentrated in exterior spaces. If the same pattern follows here, T-87 may represent an exterior area.

$P286

287

Unfortunately, T-87 did not reveal any clearly dateable material to elucidate the chronological gap between the early Orientalizing and the late Archaic features in its vicinity. Locus 3 and Locus 6 , equivalent loci, were the deepest excavated in T-87, however, they included material of mixed contexts indicating that they may be erosional. Again, further excavation is needed to reach a greater depth in order to hopefully recover contextualized, ancient material and illuminate the profile of the stone packing feature as well as to extend westward to trace the horizontal extent of the stone packing feature in that direction.

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